Improved paddle-wheel



LEONARD AMES, OF VAUBEOK, AND MELVILLE MILES, OF PEPIN, WISCON- SIN, ASSIGNORS TO LEONARD AMES.

IMPROVED PADDLEQWHEEL.

['o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEONARD AMES, of Waubeck, in the county of Dunn and State of Wisconsin, and MELvILLE MILES, of Pepin, in the county of Pepin and State aforesaid, have invented a new and Improved Paddle- Wheel; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-- Y Figure 1 is a side view of our invention; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 3, a transverse section of one of the supplemental parts of the buckets, taken in the line x x, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several gures.

This invention consists in constructing the floats or blades .of the wheel of two parts-to wit, one part consisting of a at board having its lower edge rounded, and the other part consisting of a series of blocks attached parallel to the iirst-mentioned part, and at right angles therewith, the blocks being of wedge shape in their transverse section and rounded at their outer and inner ends, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby the iioats or blades are made to operate without the concussions and jars which attend the operation of the ordinary paddle-wheels, and the liftf7 as it is commonly termed, produced by .the resistancer the water offers to the buckets as the latter leave it, avoided, and at the same time a strong, durable, and economical paddle-wheel obtained.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct o-ur invention, we will proceed to describe it.

A represents the shaft of the wheel, having 'radial arms B attached to it in the usual or any proper way.

-To the outer ends of the arms B there are attached flat-boards O, of any suitable width, the ends of said boards projecting a short distance beyond the arms B, and having their outer edges rounded at their rear sides, as shown at a in Fig. l. The boards C resemble the oats or blades of ordinary paddle-wheels, with the exception ofthe rounded outer ends, c.

To the boards Cthere are firmly bolted a series of blocks, D, which are parallel with each other and at right angles to the boards C, as shown in Fig. 2. The outer parts of these blocks-that is to say, the parts which project beyond the boards C-are of Wedge shape in their transverse section, as shown in Fig. 3, and the outer ends of said parts are rounded at their backs, as shown at bv in Fig. 1. The parts of the blocks D, which are bolted to the boards C, are rounded at their front or face sides, as show-n at c, and are rounded at their inner ends, as shown at d.

The blocks D may be of any suitable length,

the outer Wedge-shaped parts projecting beyond the boards C a distance somewhat greater-say one-third-than the Width of the boards O. We do not, however, conne ourselves to any particular length of the blocks D or boards O.

The edges of the blocks D are at the front side of the paddle-wheel-that is to say, they face the direction of the rotation of the wheelso that said edges act against the water, (see Fi g. 1,) in which the direction of the rotation of the wheel is indicated by the arrow.

By having the blocks D of wedge shape in their transverse section, it will be seen that the concussions and jars attending the operation of the ordinary paddle-wheels are avoided, as said parts divide the water in entering into it, and still preserve a sufficient area to it to propel the vessel, for in. consequence of a series of blocks being used on each board O the water is confined or prevented from passing'freely through the spaces between them; hence, a sufficient propelling-surface is obtained, and one which obviates the difficulty attending the operation of the flat iloats or blades, previously alluded to.

The boards C are not designed to enter the water vwhen smooth; but in cases of a heavy sea they of course will act against the water, and the rounded outer ends, a, of said boards serve in a material degree to diminish jars or concussions. A flat edge would offer considerable resistance to the water. For the same reason the outer and inner ends of the blocks D are rounded, as represented at b c.

The blocks D, as well as the boards C, are constructed of wood, the former being made of solid blocks and firmly bolted to O.

It will be seen that besides the advantage above mentioned, a very strong and durable paddle-Wheel is obtained, and one that may be economically constructed.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Apaddlewheel having'its floats or blades l constructed of a flat board, C, with a series of parallel blocks, D, attached to it at right angles, said blocks beyond the board being,` 

